Parsley turning yellow while drying

[raphael75]

I had several huge flat Italian parsley plants that I pulled up by the roots to harvest and make room for some other plants. I was drying them outside in a box and it was in the 60's with a lot of sun and wind. However, I had to bring the box in because we got rain, and the box was inside for several days. I had put them in the box as-is, roots and everything. When I opened the box I discovered that most of the parsley had turned yellow.


Why did this happen, and how can I prevent it from turning yellow in the future? Was I supposed to cut the roots off?

Also, can the yellow parsley still be dried and used, or is it back to the compost for it?

Thank you.

 

[redback]

I had to bring the box in because we got rain, and the box was inside for several days.

It's not fresh anymore. You have to compost it. I never try to preserve parsley but there might be a way of freezing it.

 

[johndavis]

I had several huge flat Italian parsley plants that I pulled up by the roots to harvest and make room for some other plants. I was drying them outside in a box and it was in the 60's with a lot of sun and wind. However, I had to bring the box in because we got rain, and the box was inside for several days. I had put them in the box as-is, roots and everything. When I opened the box I discovered that most of the parsley had turned yellow.


Why did this happen, and how can I prevent it from turning yellow in the future? Was I supposed to cut the roots off?

Also, can the yellow parsley still be dried and used, or is it back to the compost for it?

Thank you.

Hey! Sounds like your parsley went through a bit of a rough patch there! The yellowing probably happened because the herbs were still full of moisture when you put them in the box, especially with the roots intact, which can keep drawing water up into the leaves. When you brought them inside, without airflow and sun, that moisture had nowhere to go, which can cause them to turn yellow and even moldy. Next time, try cutting the roots off right after you pull them up. This stops the plant from trying to keep itself alive and focus more on drying out evenly. Spread them out in a single layer in a sunny spot with good airflow, or hang them up to dry. As for the yellow parsley, if it smells fine and isn't moldy, you can still dry it and use it—just know it might have a milder flavor. If it looks or smells off, better to toss it in the compost and avoid any risks. Good luck with your next batch

 

[raphael75]

@johndavis That is great information, thank you! When you hang them up to dry, do you tie the stems together with a twister tie or string or something like that?

 

[DECEMBER]

Cut off the roots, bundle them together and put a rubber band or twist tie around the bottom of the stems to hold them together, and most importantly, hang upside down to dry.